Cracker facing and stacking machine



(No Model.) l

' Gr. SMITH 8u E. S. BRIGHT. l

GRACKER FAGING AND STAGKING MACHINE.

PententeedA Feb. 4, 1890.

INVENTOR S v ATTORNEY.

.UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE..

GEORGE SMITH AND EDVARD BRIGHT, OF BALTIMORE,MARYLAND CRACKER FACING AND STACKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,743, dated February 4, 1890.

Application filed May 15, 1889. Serial No. 310,858. (No model.)

.To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE SMITH and EDWARD S. BRIGHT, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of` cakes--that is, placing them with their t-opsv all facing t-he same way, as hereinafter set forth.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of same. Figs. 3 and lare cross-sections through the hopper on lines 3 3v and 4: et of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-section, larger scale, of one guide, showing how it may be expanded or contracted. Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the manner of facing the cakes.

This machine for the most part is shown and described in vanother application for Letters Patent of even date, Serial No. 310,859, wherein are described and claimed a vibrating hopper and inclined chute-frame and guides for the cakes, and as such devices form no part of the present invention they will not be particularly described herein.

The letter A designates a stand on which an inclined frame B is hinged, springs bsupporting the frame. The hopper C vibrates longitudinallyT on the said frame, and is moved by the drive-shaft D, crank-head f, and pitmen-rods g. A brush E revolves above the hopper. At the front end of the hopper is a depending chute-frame G, having vertical partitions q, which are laterally adjustable and held by-means of set-screws p. A foot r projects from the chute-frame forward over the delivery-'table H. Tubes I are on the foot of the chute-frame.

All of the parts above named are shown in the other application for Letters Patent already referred to.

Fig. 6 shows the cakes which this machine is adapted to face. It will be seen the cakes have a flat bottom n and a slightlymounded or convex top o. A cake of this design standing upright on its edge 'U2 will fall over with its top side down. It will do this because its gravity inclines it that way. We take advantage of this fact to improvise means for facing these cakes.

"Ve place in the front part of the hopper C a series of parallel guides L, which have at their upper ends beveled sides w and at their lower ends vertical sides w. It is immaterial as to how these guides are constructed or shaped, if their upper ends next to the rear part of the hopper have beveled sides, which terminate gradually into the vertical sides at their lower ends next to the chute which discharges from the hopper. In the present instance the lower end of the guide L is thickest and the upper end thinnest, and gradually increases in thickness from said upper to the lower end. The guides L are spaced apart so as to leave between each two passages x broad enough for acake when upright on its edge. Cross-bars N are above the parallel guides L, and set-screws y in said bars serve to hold the guides down to their position. At the lower end of the guides we have'shown tubes O.

The cakes are to be placed in bulk or mass upon the uppermost or rear part C of the inclined hopper. The motion of the hopper will cause the cakes to slide down to the u pper end of the guides, which has beveled sides w. Vhen a cake reaches these, it will rest upon one of the said beveled sides and thereby assume an inclined position; its lowest side will be inone of the passages zc. As the cake continues to slide along the beveled side w the angle of its inclination will gradually change, and it will assume more and more nearly an upright position until it reaches the vertical sides w, whereupon it will rest on its edge o2 and be perfectly upright, as shown in Fig. 1, at r3, which designates a cake in the described position. The

cake will, upon leaving said passage fr, fall or turn over with its top side o downward. lVe prefer to use the tubes O, in which the cakes may fall or turn over. When the cakes reach the front end of the tubes 0,01*, in case these tubes are not used, when they reach the top edge of the chute, they will tilt and drop edgewise down the passages of the chuteframe G into the tribes I. As each cake drops into the tube I it will take position on its edge behind the cake that dropped previous. rlhe cakes with their tops all facing one way will gradually move forward out of the tube I and onto the deliverytable I-I and form rows between the guidebars t, the crackers first dropped into the tube I holding those dropped subsequently in vertical or nearly vertical position. From this table the cakes may be lifted by manual labor.

It will thus be seen our invention, broadly considered, consists of means whereby cakes which lay in a confused mass may be arranged in rows, and with the tops of all the cakes facing the same direction. To do this work by a machine is new and useful, as it expedites the operation and effects important economies.

The guides L may be said to comprise an attachment which may be placed at any time in the machine referred to, for which we have this day executed another application for Letters Patent.

In Fig. 5 we show by a cross-section how each guide maybe made adjustable in width, so as to form passages of any desired breadth, and thereby suit cakes of any thickness. This adjustability may be effected by makin g each guide in two longitudinal pieces L', and providing a screw to connect them.

By turning the screw the said two pieces may be expanded or spread apart or may be brought closer together'.

Having described our invention we claiml. In a machine for arranging crackers or cakes, the combination, with the hopper C, of a series of parallel guides L, having their upper portions inclined and their lower ends vertical, the said guides gradually converging from such incline to Vvertical form, whereby the cakes or crackers are turned in their descent so as to present the tops of the cakes facing all in one direction, substantially as specified.

2. In a machine forarrangingcrackers, &c., the combination, with the hopper, the guides gradually converging from an inclined angle to a right angle at the other end of the tube O, in which the crackers or cakes are turned with their top sides down, the inclined chute G, and the tube I, by means of which the cakes or crackers are delivered with their narrow faces all in one direction, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE SMITH. EDWARD S. BRIGHT. Witnesses:

JOHN E. MORRIS, JNO. T. MADDOX. 

